Fears Over Debt Threat To Elderly Care

Adult social services in Norfolk is facing a possible £4.5 million overspend. However, bosses have pledged not to make it harder for elderly people to get care, by tightening eligibility criteria. Norfolk County Council’s adult social services department has promised to find £30 million of savings over a three-year period.

The budget will be discussed in detail at a meeting of its review panel.

In July the Evening News revealed how a new survey found people expect far more support from social care than they were ever likely to receive.

Many anticipate help to enable them to live at home should they become disabled or fall long term ill.

Nine out of 10 people say it is important they can stay at home in such circumstances and a similar proportion want to be given a choice about where they live other than in residential care. But the three social care organisations which commissioned the survey said there was a growing gap between expectation and provision.

Earlier this year the Evening News conducted a week-long series of features into the future for elderly people in the county.

Our investigation found care homes were closing at the rate of more than two-a-month, social services budgets were running into deficit and elderly people were being forced to sell their homes to make sure they were looked after.